Perry explains his new position opposing abortion in cases of rape, incest

Rick Perry says his new position on abortion isn’t the result of political calculation. It’s the result of deep contemplation.

Taking a question or two as he worked a meet and greet at The Sports Page in Indianola, Iowa this afternoon, Perry said he’s “always struggled” with the abortion issue.

As he’d mentioned a day earlier, he switched positions to allow abortion only to save a mother’s life after meeting with a woman whose conception was the result of a sexual assault and seeing a movie on the issue. He’d previously favored legal abortions in cases of rape or incest.

“I think I’ve always struggled with that issue, and after I went to see the movie a Gift of Life and had a conversation with Rebecca Kiessling (the woman whose mother was raped by her biological father) and I really thought about this through the Christmas holidays and that’s the conclusion I came to, is that she looked me in the eyes and said why would my life not be worth saving? And I didn’t have an answer.”